Nature Notes: December 2025

'THE HOLLY BEARS A BLOSSOM'

Highlights of November: uplifting and life-affirming songs of birds - choirs of joyful sparrows, finches and tits in the garden whilst migrant blackbirds joined song thrushes, fieldfares, a robin, wren, blackcap and Tawny owl in a rousing dawn Hallelujah chorus by one of our streams; the biggest and brightest Supermoon of this year; a short-tailed field vole nonchalantly munching on the edge of my lawn; an inquisitive heron peering through the back gate, just an arms-length away in the murky half-light; a grey wagtail flashing her yellow bloomers at the matching yellow-gold fallen leaves; being swooped up in the centre of an exhilarating feather whirl of a huge flock of whirring pigeons.

Lowlights: unseasonably mild temperatures until mid-month leading to a 'false spring' - a black-headed, luminous green, Speckled Wood caterpillar pinging down it's bungee thread onto a leaf at my feet, a Clouded Yellow on a dandelion, a comma sunbathing; holly, hawthorn and blackberry flowering; a new report revealing light pollution not only severely disrupts life cycles and/or migration patterns but also increases CO2 emissions from plants, microbes and at night but with no corresponding increase in photosynthesis; despite some nearly extinct species, the government ordering MPs to vote against an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, for nature and wildlife protection in new-builds.

Key messages: As the old saying goes: "Many hawes, many sloes = many cold toes!" so prepare to nurture all our fellow creatures with warmth, shelter, food and water as temperatures drop.

>

What to look for/hear in December: mistletoe clumps up high in bare branches; pied wagtail roosts in trees at night; starling murmurations; wildlife tracks in mud, frost or snow; moss and lichen embellished branches; skies full of stars.

What you're more likely to see: the frosted breath of birds, mammals and carol singers; foxes and tawny owls calling; the 'Cold' Supermoon on 4th; fieldfares and redwings feasting on berries; the scent of Christmas pine and woodsmoke; if you're VERY lucky, Santa's reindeer and sleigh.

What you can do to help:

- Switch off any outside lights when you go to bed.

- Support the UK's biggest nature charities to protect our nature laws.

- Carefully move any over-wintering butterflies/creatures that come in on your logs, to a cool, dark, dry place where they can escape in the spring.

- Ditch the plastic and forage instead for natural holly, ivy, fir and seed decorations - but leave some for wildlife.

- Give at least one gift that benefits nature.

"The holly bears a blossom as white as the lily flower, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet Saviour".

Wishing you and all your fur/feathered/woolly friends a very happy Christmas and a 'wild' and wonder-filled New Year!